Geoffrey Hinton, a Nobel laureate and recognized 'godfather' of artificial intelligence, gave positive feedback on the Chinese government's balanced and cautious approach to the relationship between AI and the labor market.
Hinton shared his thoughts on the rapid development of AI during the Ai4 Las Vegas 2026 conference, which took place from August 4 to 6 in Las Vegas. He noted that in China, the concept is being promoted that workers cannot simply be replaced by artificial intelligence; instead, workers should collaborate with AI to perform tasks.
In Hinton's opinion, Chinese authorities are likely more concerned with unemployment than American corporations. He warned that unemployment could lead to a loss of a significant tax base for the government, which currently needs resources to address unemployed issues, potentially triggering serious social upheaval.
Furthermore, Hinton emphasized that regulations should not hinder progress in AI but should guide its development. He objected to the view of large companies that tend to see regulation as an inhibitor of innovation. Instead, he suggested viewing AI development as a car accelerator and regulation as the steering wheel that helps direct development toward human benefit, rather than suppressing it.
